Refrigerator shelf construction



Feb. 21, 1956 E 5 LABEN 2,735,741

REFRIGERATOR SHELF vCONSTRUCTION Filed NOV. 7, 1952 United States Patent O 2,735,741 REFRIGERATOR SHELF CONSTRUCTION Edward Stanley Laben, Chicago, Ill., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application November 7, 1952, Serial No. 319,343 2 Claims. (Cl. 312-351) This invention relates to a tray or shelf for refrigerators and the like.

In refrigerators and other relatively deep cabinets in which articles of various types and styles are stored, it is advantageous to provide shelves which may be with drawn from the cabinet a suilicient distance to afford easy access to articles on the rear of the shelf. It is, therefore, a principal obect of my invention to provide a simple shelf and mounting for slidable shelves.

It is another object to provide a shelf mount which holds the shelf securely against tipping when the shelf is partially withdrawn from the cabinet and yet may be instantly detached from the cabinet so as to permit the shelf and supporting structure to be removed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a slidable shelf and support structure which may be easily disassembled to permit thorough cleaning.

It is another object of the invention to provide a slidable shelf structure and support which do not obstruct air circulation between the marginal edges of the shelf and the walls of the refrigerator.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan section of a refrigerator cabinet showing a presently preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on lines 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on lines 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective of the shelf and support removed from the refrigerator cabinet; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of a side support bracket taken on line 5 5 of Fig. l.

In Fig. l, a refrigerator cabinet 1 has the usual insulated Walls 2, inner cabinet liner 3 and door 4. The slidable shelf structure embodying my invention is arranged for removal from the refrigerator, and if desired, may be completely disassembled for thorough cleaning, as presently explained.

The shelf and its supporting structure are best shown in Figs. l and 4. The basic support structure includes a transverse bar 5 of sufficient length to span the cabinet, and a U-shaped member 6 welded or otherwise secured at its bight to the bar 5 and having the spaced rod-like members 6.1 projecting therefrom. The bar and rod like members occupy a common plane.

Slidably carried on the support structure is a shelf 7, formed to have a continuous downwardly extending flange and a suitably contoured shelf surface. The shelf may be of light gage metal, or of plastic; and depending upon the basic strength of the material, and to some extent whether or not the shelf surface is perforated to permit air circulation, it may be advantageous to affix to the under side of the shelf an inverted channel 8 for structural support in the central area. The rear llange 7.1 of the shelf is apertured as shown in Figs. l and 3 to slidably receive the members 6.1 and the side flanges 7.2 of the shelf and the sides 8.1 of the channels are formed with the elongated notches, as illustrated, to receive the cross bar 5. As best shown in Fig. 3, the respective ends of the side wall notches are formed with pockets 7.3, having a diameter equal to that of bar 5, and projecting tongues 7.4. At either extreme of movement of the shelf relative to the support structure, the cross bar will seat within the pockets and the tongues 7.4 underlie the bar 5 to restrain the shelf against accidental upward movement.

To assemble the shelf and support, the shelf is placed above the support and members 6.1 are threaded through the rear ilange openings, which are slightly oversize to permit the angular insertion thereof. Disassembly is equally easy.

Presently preferred means for removably securing the shelf and support within the cabinet are best shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5. The cross bar 5 is carried in brackets 9 arranged to be adhesively or otherwise secured to the cabinet wall. Said brackets have outwardly extending support portions 9.1 having an upwardly facing entrance 9.2 of slightly less width than bar 5. At least the support portions 9.1 are of resilient material to permit the bar to be snapped into and out of the pocket. The ends of rod-like members 6.1 are received in socket members 10 secured to or formed in the cabinet wall. Said socket members have an axial opening 10.1 of suitable depth to afford a substantial insertion of the members while permitting them to be rotated upwardly to disengage the bar 5 from the brackets 9.

A feature of the shelf construction is that no side rails or other supports occupy the space between the sides and rear of the shelf and the adjacent cabinet walls. Because of this, the shelf area may be a maximum and yet provide proper air circulation between the shelf and refrigerator wall.

While there has been described what are at present considered to be the preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein, and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall Within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

l. A removable shelf assembly for a refrigerator cabinet or the like having side and rear Walls, comprising, in combination, a supporting structure having a transverse bar arranged to extend across the inside of the cabinet near the front thereof and a substantially U-shaped rodlike structure secured at its bight to said transverse bar intermediate the ends thereof and having mutually spaced parallel members extending rearwardly of said transverse bar at right angles thereto each said parallel member being a substanial distance from the adjacent end of said bar; a substantially rectangular shelf having side flanges arranged for slidable support on said transverse bar and a rear flange provided with openings Slidably accommodating said rearwardly extending members, said flanges extending below the lowermost plane of said supporting structure members; stop means on said side flanges to limit the extent of displacement of said shelf on said supporting structure; and means for removably mounting said supporting structure within said cabinet, comprising bracket members for securement to said cabinet side walls and having upwardly facing recessed portions to releasably receive the ends of said transverse bar, and socketed members for securement to the rear wall of said cabinet and having forwardly facing recesses to releasably receive the ends of said rearwardly extending members.

2. A shelf assembly,

as in claim l, in which the side flanges have elongated notches establishing the limits of movement of said shelf along said transverse bar, said References Cited in the file of this patent anges at the respective ends of the notches being formed UNITED STATES PATENTS with tongues adapted to underlie said transverse bar to thereto when sald bar 1s at elther end of sald notches. 5 1,065,004 Senge June 17, 1913 1,861,123 Kuckel May 31, 1932 1,964,831 Rein July 3, 1934 2,604,375 Beckett July 22, 1952 

